ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..

THE ADVENTURE

HARI OM!

Here is a place to linger, to let your intellect roam. Aatmaavrajanam is being written as a progressive study and, as such, can be read like a book. Anyone arriving at any time can simply start at the very first post and work their way through at their own pace. Please take time to read the info tabs and ensure you don't miss a post, by subscribing to the blog. Interaction is welcomed. Don't be a spectator - be a participator!

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Breaking Divisions

Hari OM

'Text-days' are for delving into the
words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.

We are now studying Aatmabodha. As
always, with each week, you are encouraged to review the previous teachings and
spend some time in contemplation of the meanings as the affect your life.
Please do consider purchasing the text. Remember, also, to recite the mangala charana before each study and
review the lessons before each new one.

The
use of analogy for illustrating high philosophical concepts is well under way
in our current text. We have seen that Maya's deception has us believing there
is silver, where only shell is. Likewise, gold is gold is gold, regardless of
the form into which it is worked, therefore we must understand that we and our
neighbour and his dog and the wolf at the edge of our town, the ocean around
our country and the earth which makes the country itself… all these are but the
same matter, formed variously. This is now explored further.

Yawakaazae
ù;Ikezae nanaपeaixgtae ivÉu>,

tÑedaiÑÚvÑait
tÚaze kevlae Évet!.10.

Yathaakaasho
hRshiikesho naanopaadhigato vibhuH,

tad-bhedad-bhinnavad-bhaati kevalo bhavet
||10||

The
All-pervading space appears to be diverse on account of its association with
various conditionings which are different from each other. However, upon the
destruction of these limiting adjuncts, the space becomes one. So also, the
omnipresent Truth appears to be diverse on account of Its association with
various conditionings and becomes one on the destruction of those
conditionings.

The
name for our 'conditionings' is उपाधाः/upaadhi-s. In Sanskrit conjunctions, when a
word ends with 'a' and the next begins with 'u', they are replaced with a
single 'o' sound, hence read 'naanopaadhigato. This breaks down as - naanaa (various/separately/differently), upaadhi
(conditionings), gataH ('gone out'). Thus we are told that Brahman has 'gone
out' into various conditionings and only on the destruction of those
conditionings does the separated parts of Brahman return to Fullness of Being
once more.

Let
us think of this another way. Space. When said as a word like that we are most
inclined to think of the basic part of the universe in which objects sit. Fine.
Now bring it closer. We build buildings and delineate 'space' as rooms, naming
it as dining space, sleeping space and so on. We can very easily see only the
objects and walls and not consider the space itself - that is to say the air
which occupies each room. That air, having been separated from the air of the
room next door, is not at all different from it, but can appear so due to the
'upadhi' of 'roomness'. When, eventually, the building is demolished, the air
is undamaged and rejoins its molecules with the air of the other rooms from the
building, returning to the fullness of the atmosphere. It was, in fact, never
separate. There was only appearance of difference.

The
thing is that, as humans and possessed of intellect, we are able to question
the nature of our existence and enquire into such things as this. What is it
that enables this? A clue is in the use of the term 'hRshiikesh'; as always
with Sanskrit, it can be broken down in different ways to extract full meaning,
but essentially for the purpose here, we will consider the use as 'hRshiika -
Iisha'. The first part pertaining to the senses - the indriiyas through which
we interact with the world of plurality and by which we are currently inclined
to define ourselves as individuals - and the second part is a name of God. Thus
we can extrapolate that it is the presence of That Originating Source (which we
isolate as 'god') working within the upaadhis through our senses which is the
substratum that never actually changes as a result of being conditioned. Once
the body shrivels from us, we lose all sense of individual identity and return
to Iisha.The Aatman is one and the same
in all conditions - due to distortions and presence of ego, we create all sorts
of divisions and limitations for 'life'. A few of us are fortunate enough to
have gone through enough cycles of incarnation to begin the final search which
will enable the ultimate freedom - a complete reunion with Self…

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